Ventilating system



Nov. 19, 1935. A. FEINBERG VENTILATIN Filed Oct. 5. 1951 G SYSTEM =5II||||II|II|||| Patented Nov.l 19, 1935 STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to improvements in ventilating systems and it consists of the matters hereinafter vdescribed and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

'I'he invention is more especially concerned with that type of Ventilating system including an air delivery duct and a diffuser or* deflector means at the discharge or outlet end thereof. Such sysvtems are largely used in theaters or like places of public gatherings, and are usually disposed in one of the upright walls thereof. In theaters, this discharge or outlet end is often disposed in that wall having the arched opening for the stage and under normal temperature conditions, the associated blower runs at its maximum to deliver air as far back as the last row of seats in the auditorium as it is the usual custom to make a complete air change about every three minutes.

For illustration purpose, an auditorium having thirty rows of seats requires an air apparatus having a 30,000 cubic foot capacity per minute. In order to obtain proper distribution of this maximum quantity of air, through the usual diffusing means provided at the discharge end of the duct, said means must have a squareA foot area permitting the establishment of an air velocity approximating 1,500 feet per minute. With an outside air temperature of about a reduction in the volume of air delivered, is necessary for the comfort o! the patrons. A reduction of 50% of the maximum volume of ai'r passing through such a diffuser will result in a drop in velocity to about 750 feet per minute and this velocity is insuicient to carry the reduced volume to the rear rows of seats in the auditorium.

It is now the practice when the temperature of the outside air which the blower delivers through the duct falls, to slow down the speed of the blower through its associated driving motor or otherwise. With such a procedure, the volume of the air, `as well as its velocity, is reduced in proportion, so that when the discharge end is positioned relatively high, the air thus discharged does not reach the back row of seats, but only reaches some intermediate row. With such a condition, certain of the patrons in the auditorium feel little or no air movement, while others complain as to the coolness of the air delvered.

Thus by cutting down the velocity and volume of the air certain objections arise because the ventilation is spotty, as certain portions of the auditorium are unventilated and warm while others are over-ventilated, and too cool.

The primary object of the invention is to pro- 12 Claims, (Cl. 98-40) vide a simple and eiicient means of an automatic character and which is associated with the discharge end of the air delivery duct whereby the air discharged may be reduced in volume without eiecting its velocity, so that the air move- 5 ment is even over the entire room or auditorium to provide the desired uniform temperature condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide means which operates automatically as the air 10 velocity and volume in the duct is reduced, to restrict A,the effective area of the discharge end, thus stepping up the reduced velocity in proportion without eiecting the volume,` said means acting so soon as the maximum velocity and l5 volume is again established in said duct, as when the blower is speeded up to offset a rise in temperature of outside air, to again increase the area l of said discharge end.

Still a further object of the invention is to 20 provide a means of this kind which may be formed as a part of unitary structure of the diffusing or deflector means, thus reducing manufacturing and installation costs.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, 25 as well as others, together with the many advantages thereof will more fully appear as I proceed with my specification.

In the drawing:-

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the 30 diffusing discharge end of a Ventilating system embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the same as taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective'view of a certain unbal- 35 anced damper forming a part of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical sectional view through one bearing end of the damper shown in Figs. 1

and 2.

In general, my invention contemplates the pro- 40 vision in a Ventilating duct and in close proximity to the diiusing discharge end thereof, of a means which is' actuated when the maximum volume of the air is reduced, to restrict the eective area of said end so that the ve1ocity is stepped up and 4.5 so soon as the maximum volume is again reestablished, said area is increased in proportion. 'Ihe before mentioned means includes an unbalanced damper or member so formed that the maximum 50 velocity of the air blast in the duct Will hold said member in the plane of the line of draft, the other end of said member being so formed that so soon as said velocity is reduced, said member assumes a position restricting the area of said outlet end 55 so that the velocity is stepped up without effecting the reduced volume.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention,` illustrated in the accompanying drawingz-I indicates one end of the duct of a ventilating system, the other end of which is preferably connected with the discharge side of a motor driven blower, not shown. Ordinarily such a blower which has its inlet connected to outside atmosphere is capable cf different speeds for delivering different velocities and volumes of air into said duct.

Said end I of said duct is connected up to a suitable air diffusing or deflecting means 2 which is preferably of the type shown in the Feinberg and Halverson Patent #1,601,815 of October 5, 1926, which includes sets of defiectors whereby the blast of air may be directed both horizontally and vertically.

The duct I is made of sheet metal and is of a rectangular cross section, while the diffuser 2 in'- cludes an open rectangular casing 3 set in a suitable opening in a building wall 4, the duct being connected to the casing in any suitable manner.

In the front half of the casing 3, are sets of front and rear defiectors 5 and 6 respectively, the former in this instance being perpendicularly disposed, and the latter being horizontally disposed. The deectors in each set are pivotally connected at their ends in the associated walls of the casing so that they may be disposed at those relative angles providing the best diffusion of air. As shown in Fig. 1, the defiectors of the horizontal set are disposed to direct the air upwardly and downwardly from the center one, while those in c the perpendicular set are disposed to direct the air in both directions laterally from the center one. Preferably but not necessarily so, the front of the casing may be provided with any suitable grille 'I to conceal from view the said defiectors above mentioned.

In the `casing to the rear of the defiectors 6 is located a damper mechanism which is automatic in its action so that when the velocity of the air in the duct is reduced from the maximum, said mechanism operates to restrict the effective area of the casing and when said maximum velocity is restored, said area is increased and such means is as follows:-

8 indicates as a whole, a flat plate-like unbalanced damper having a shaft 9 secured thereto, and the ends of said shaft are journalled in antifriction bearings I0, in turn supported in any suitable manner. So that the damper mechanism and the diffuser with which it is associated may be made as a unitary structure for ease in manufacturing, shipping, installing and adjusting, the bottom wall II and the rear bottom parts of the side walls I2 of the casing are made of a greater depth so to enclose the damper mechanism when said damper is in that position which is hereinafter termed, a closed position. With such a structure the antifriction bearings I0 are set in portions of said side Walls as is apparent from Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawing.

'I'he damper as herein shown is of a width approximating the width of the inside of the casing and is of such a length that when it is in its angular closed position, it acts to close off the bottom half of the casing. The damper is beaded over at its top or outer end as at I3 for stiffness and its bottom or inner end is stiffened in a similar manner and is provided with a sealing strip Il of felt or the like.

disposed off-center with respect to the top and bottom (or inner and outer) ends thereof, so that the damper may be compared to a lever of the first class having a long power arm and a shorter load arm. Fixed near the ends of said shafts, in line with pairs of slots I5 in opposite margins of the damper are blocks I6 and screws I'I pass through said slots into said blocks whereby the respective lengths of said arms may be adjusted during assembly and even during installations 10 when necessary.

-Secured to the top surface of the long arm of the damper, near the bead I3 are funnel-like wind cups I8 supported from the damper by means of arms I9. These cups and arms are so formed 15 that when the damper stands in a horizontal open position, they face directly in the line of the blast and when the damper stands in the inclined closed position, they present but little of their interior in the line of said blast. Secured to the top sur- 20 face of the short arm of the damper, near its end, are threaded rods 20 disposed parallel with the damper and upon which weight members 2I are mounted for adjustment,. there being nuts 22 on said rods to secure the weights in the adjusted 25 position. y

The weights are so disposed that when no forced draft of air is passing through the duct, the damper stands in the inclined position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 with its top end disposed in 30 about the median horizontal plane of the diffuser so that only its top half is effective as an outlet, said top end in this position being spaced rearwardly from the defiectors 6.

The blower supplying the blast of air is capable 35 of running at various speeds and this is usually provided by a multispeed motor or a clutch be tween a single speed motor and the blower shaft. At the high speed of the blower the maximum velocity and volume of air is provided in theduct 40 and in the lower speed, the velocity and volume is reduced in proportion.

Assume now with the parts shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the motor has been started to drive the blower at its maximum` speed. 'I'he 45 blast of air nbw rushes toward the discharge end of the duct. The blast now impinges uponthe rear or outer end of the damper which as before described is of the greater area and carries the wind cups. The blast acting upon said part of 50 the damper tends to depress the same and this soon brings the wind cups into such a position that their open ends face into the blast. This assists said part of the damper in overcoming gravity effectv of the other part of the damper so 55 that the damper swings into 4the horizontal position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 so that the' damper is now open and disposed in the line oi' draft.

The depressing action before mentioned, is suf- 60 cient to overcome the action of the Weights on the inner or front end of the damper and with the long arm of the damper, trailing in the direction of the blast, the damper as a whole presents only 4its thicknessf'to the blast. As this thickness is 65 negligible, it is apparent that the blast has a substantially unobstructed outlet or discharge through the diffuser. In its passage outthrough the same, it is apparent that the defiectors 5 and `I will direct the blast in the desired direction. To 70 prevent any tendency of the damper to flutter in the blast; stop pins 23 may be provided on each side wall of the casing for engagement by the long arm of the damper as best shown in Fig. 1.

With the blower operating at its maximum, it is 75.

apparent that the moving air is delivered to all parts of the room or auditorium as desired. Assume now that a drop in temperature in outside air has taken place and that this air, deliveredin full volume and Velocity renders the room or auditorium too cool for comfort of the patrons.

Heretoiore, this condition was sought to be overcome by reducing the blower speed but this not only reduced the volume of the blast but also the velocity thereof so that those patrons in only a part of the room or auditorium received the benefits of the blast and those to the rear thereof complained because of the rise in temperature in y their vicinity. Thus with the apparatus at present in use, it is impossible to provide eiiicient ventilation by reducing the volume and velocity of the blast.

In connection with my improved system, so soon as the blower speed isreduced, the velocity and volume is reduced as heretofore when the weight of the inner end or shorter end of the damper overcomes the push or thrust on the outer end or longer arm of the damper so that the damper swings into the inclined closed position shown in Fig. 1. When in this position, the cushion strip I4 will engage lthe bottom wall of the casing and the beaded edge I3 thereof will stand 'in a position about midway the height of the diffuser and a short distance to the rear thereof thus reducing or choking the effective discharge area of the diffuser. With the blower running, at say half speed, and with the volume and velocity of the blast reduced in proportion, the same does not have that thrust necessary to swing the damper into the horizontal full open position. Said blast however, in its state of reduced velocity and volume, is directed by the damper toward the open top half of the diffuser and as the area is thus reduced, the velocity of the blast but not the volume is increased in proportion with the result that a uniform air movement-is afforded for patrons in all seats of the auditorium.

Should outside atmospheric temperatures rise, the blower is again speeded up to its maximum and the Velocity of the blast acts to automatically .swing the damper into full open position in the delivered and in another instance a reduced Volume is delivered without a reduction in velocity. After being once adjusted the mechanism described requires no attention on the part of an operator.

The invention may be readily employed in connection with Ventilating systems now in use merely by the provision of exchanging the diffuser casing embodied in said system Ifor a. new one embodylng the mechanism above described.

While in describing the invention, I have referred in detail to the form, arrangement and construction of the various parts thereof, the same is to be considered as illustrative only, so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the lappended claims.

1. In combination with the discharge end of the air duct of a,- Ventilating system adapted to have an air blast therein variable from one velocity and Volume to another and lesser velocity and volume and Vice versa and means associated with said discharge end and automatically operable under blast action for maintaining the i'lrst mentioned velocity of the blast discharged from said discharge end when said blast has said lesser nl velocity and volume in said duct said means and end being so formed as to prevent closing off of said end at a minimum velocity of air blast in said duct.

2. In combination with the discharge end of lil the air duct of a Ventilating system adapted tohave an air blast therein variable from one velocity and volume to another and lesser Velocity and volume, a damper associated with said'discharge end and mounted on a horizontal axis, said l5 damper having an area to one side of said axis greater than that on the other side, adjustable weight means on said last mentioned side of said damper to increase its gravity effect in the presence of an air blast in said duct of a lesser velocity and Volume and air cups on the first mentioned side of said damper and facing toward the direction of said blast and assisting said side of the damper in the presence of a blast of a higher velocity and volume to overcome the weight of said other side so that said damper swings into the plane of the blast.

3. In combination with the discharge end of an air duct of a Ventilating system, a casing at said end of the duct and including air diiusing means and a member in said casing adjacent said means and movable in accordance with the Velocity of and by said air blast for determining the effective area of said diffusing means but being incapable of entirely closing off said diffusing means.

4. In combination with the discharge end of an air duct of a Ventilating system, a casing in said end of the duct and including air diiusing means, a damper pivotally mounted in saidcasing adjacent said diffusing means and having a greater area to one side of said pivot than to the other side thereof and which last mentioned side is overwelghted with respect to the first mentonedside and air catching means on said greater area\part of said means;

5. In combination with the discharge end of an air duct of a Ventilating system, a casing in said end of the duct and including air diffusing means, a damper pivotally mounted in said cas'- 50 ing adjacent said diffusing means and having a greater area to one side of said pivot than to the other side thereof, air catching means on said first mentioned side of said damper and adjustable weight means on the said second mentioned side of said damper.

6. In combination with the discharge end of, the air duct of a Ventilating system adapted to have an air blast therein variable from one velocity and volume to another and lesser velocity and Volume, a damper associated with said discharge end and mounted on a horizontal axis, vsaid damper having an area to one side of said axis greater than that on the other side of said axis and which last mentioned part of the damper has a greater gravity effect so as to overbalance the iirst in the presence of an air blast in said duct of said lesser velocity and Volume and wind catching means on the first mentioned part of said damper so formed as to face fully into line 70 of the blast when said damper is in its horizontal open position for assisting in holding said damper in said open position and to face less fully into said line of the blast when said damper is in its inclined closed position.

7. In combination with the discharge end of the air duct of a Ventilating system, a damper adjacent said end of said duct, means providing a pivot for said damper extending transversely of said duct and about which said damper mayA be swung from an openposition wherein it stands parallel with said duct, into a closed position wherein it stands at less than a right angle to 'said' duct, said damper when in the last mentioned position having a portion engaged with one side of the duct and a second portion spaced from the opposite side of the duct and restricting the eiective area of said discharge end and operating to deflect the air blast in said duct toward said restricted effective area of said discharge end.

8. In combination with the discharge end of the air duct of a Ventilating system, a damper in said duct, means providing a pivot for said damper extending transversely and disposed off center with respect to said duct and about which said damper may be swung from an open position' wherein it stands parallel with said duct into a closed position wheren it stands at less than a right angle to said duct, said damper when in the last mentioned vposition having a part engaged with one side of the duct and having another part spaced from the opposite side of the duct and r-esricting the effective area of said dschargc end and operating as a deiector for the air blast in the duct for directing the same toward said restricted effective area of sai-d discharge end. I

9. In 4combination with the discharge end of the duct of a Ventilating system, means within said end for closing 01T the lower portion of said .discharge end, and for deflecting the blast toward and for limiting the -discharge to the upper portion thereof said means being operable by the air blast in said d'scharge end when it reaches a predetermined velocity and volume to open said lower portion to make the entire area of said discharge end effective.

10. In combination with the discharge end of the air duct of a Ventilating system, means pivotally mounted between its ends in said discharge end and operable by the air blast therein when it approaches its maximum velocity and volume to open both the upper and lower portions of said discharge end and to close off said lower portion when the velocity and volume of air in the duct reaches a predetermined minimum to direct the blast toward and to limit the discharge thereof to the upper portion of said.

discharge end.

11. In combination with the discharge end of the air duct of a Ventilating system, means in said discharge end and operable when the velocity and volume of air in the duct reaches a predetermined m'nimum, to close off the lower portion of said discharge end and direct the blast toward and limit the discharge thereof to the upper portion of said discharge end, said means also being operable bythe air blast in said discharge end upon a predetermined increase in veloc ty and volume o said blast in said duct Ato open said lower portion of said discharge end to make the entire area of said discharge end eiective.

12. In combination with the discharge outlet of an air duct of a Ventilating system, deectors in said outlet for diffusing the air blast discharged from said outlet, and a member pivoted on a horizontal axis adjacent the rear of said deectors and automatically swingable about said axis in accordance with the velocity of the blast in said duct for determinng the eiective area of said outlet through said deflectors and for deecting the air blast toward said area for discharge therethrough at substantially the same velocity.

ARCHIE FEINBERG. 

